When I read "The Lord of the Rings" in 4th grade, I had to hide the books inside bigger books so the other kids wouldn't ridicule me for reading fairy-tales (which I had always loved--a taste which I learned from experience wasn't shared by my peers nor encouraged by adults outside of my family.) I felt like my brain exploded! I could never be the same person after that, for which I am grateful.

Favorite Tolkien character:

Sam. His love, loyalty and courage inspired me, and his journey as a working-class fellow coming to terms with a) his right to own his intelligence and pursue education, b) his wisdom in approaching life intuitively rather than strictly pragmatically, and later c) his duty to lead and make decisions as the most faithful way to serve, protected me from the brainwashing which most working-class children face. (I also owe a great debt to Elrond, for modeling a healthy way of embracing my multiracial nature as a gift.)
In the world of the trailor park, the res, the ghetto, the truck stop, the small town, and the neighborhood on the wrong side of the tracks, for every Gaffer Gamgee and Ted Sandyman, there will always also be a Farmer Maggot and a Sam Gamgee, who know and feel more than they're supposed to, and who have the heart to do something about it.